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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Runners show varied looks, from pain to pleasure, on Weisenberger Mill Road, the last leg of the race.

Photos by Adrian Rudd, University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications
Story by Midway Messenger Staff

As dawn neared, the crowd began to gather under "the Tin Man," the old water tower.

Midway's population more than doubled Sunday, Oct. 11, as nearly 1,400 runners and probably even more companions came to the area for the Sixth Annual Iron Horse Marathon.

Organizers of the race estimated that for every two runners, three more people attended, making the estimated total crowd about 3,500.

The race is organized by John's Run/Walk Shop of Lexington. It makes a major donation to the Woodford Humane Society, which provides most of the volunteers who help along the route, and smaller donations to the Shop With a Cop program, the City of Midway and the Midway Ministerial Association.

Motorcylist Walt Leaumont and bicyclists George Vanmeter III and Alan Siebenthaler led the pack.Mayor Grayson Vandegrift, third from right, thanked the attendees and blew an air horn to start the race.

Runners gathered under the tower, preparing to start the 13.1-mile race at 8 a.m. It was 45 degrees.

The race started at Dudley and Brand streets, going up Brand Street to Stephens Street.

Alex Payne of Franklin, Tenn., in red shirt at left, led at the start and ended the race as the winner.

Daniel Rouse (1372) and John-Michael Riegger (1340) of Lexington lead a group down Stephens Street as the pack returned from Spring Station. Rouse placed 30th overall and fourth in the 20-24 age group; Reigger was eighth in that group and 64th overall. Behind them are Kevin Bryant of Versailles, who placed 61st overall and eighth in the 40-44 age group, and Heidi Olson of Lexington, who finished 42nd overall, third among women and second in the 20-24 group.

Another view looking east on Stephens Street illustrates the large number of runners; 1,375 finished.

Two women seemed to be supporting each other as they headed up Weisenberger Mill Road toward the finish line.

Later in the race, some stragglers set a slower pace in front of Midway University on East Stephens Street.

At the finish line on Brand Street, Jarred Brewster finished first in the 20-24 group and fifth overall.

Zaan Janse of Lexington finished third overall
and second in the 25-29 age group.

Overall winner Alex Payne after the race.
His time was 1:17:49.61. He is 27 years old.

David Florence of Lexington finished 130th, but eighth in the 45-49 group, and he was happy.

Emily Frith of Eastern Kentucky University
was the women's overall winner, in 1:23:10.40.

Jon Terry of Springfield, Va., who placed 49th overall,put his medallion on his daughter after the race.

Denise Pfefferle of Lexington placed first in the 30-34 age group and 48th overall.

Justin Strickland of Lexington smiled as he finished the race.
He placed 84th overall and 10th in the 20-24 age group.

Nathan York checked his time (1:31:37.63),
which placed him 25th overall and fourth in
the 35-39 age group.

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News in and around the small but surprisingly interesting town of Midway, Ky., reported, written and photographed by students in community journalism classes in the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media, taught by Associate Extension Professor Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues,www.RuralJournalism.org.